Ensuring food sufficiency inches closer as President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo nails the government attempts to arrest the problem of decreasing rice farm lands.
As worries are becoming more pronounced with the threat of rice shortage, the President suspended the processing of all land conversions applications for rice lands to boost rice and agri-productivity.
The move is also seen as affording the poorer sectors of the society better access to the country's resources.
Citing the basic state policy of giving its people equitable access to resources and promoting food security, the President signed Administrative Order 226 Friday last week, sources said.
Aside from rice-lands for conversion into residential and semi-industrial zones, also covered in the moratorium are alluvial plains suitable for agriculture, agro-industrial crop lands, highlands with elevations over 500m sea level especially with a high potential for semi-temperate and high value crops, ecologically fragile lands, mangrove areas and fish sanctuaries.
As the rice supplies tightening hit the country, Bohol farmers sheltering under the Hugpong sa mga Mag-uumang Bol-anon have asked quick government intervention especially on the immediate cancellation of all land use conversion programs among many other recommendations.
Farmers have complained that the conversions, which have goaded farmers to shift to the less sensitive and agro-industrial crops like oil palm and jatropha have significantly reduced rice landsa nd harvest.
Upon the signing of the order, the President stressed the need for all lands utilized and intended for rice production to be protected from any other land use or conversion… to ensure sufficient rice supply.
The two-year suspension also covers lands considered within the Network of Protected Areas for Agricultural and Agro-Industrial Development (NPAAD) and automatically blankets all irrigated areas and irrigable lands already covered by irrigation projects. - Rey Anthony Chiu, Philippine Information Agency
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